Grain weighing or measuring apparatus.



PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

H. GRASSLEY. GRAIN WEIGHING OR MEASURING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.20,1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET l,

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No. 801,234. PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905. H. GRASSLEY.

GRAIN WEIGHING OR MEASURING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

GRAIN WEIGHING OR MEASURING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed October 20,1904:- Serial No. 229,324;-

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERRMANN GRAssLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Weighing or Measuring Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a weighing device for grain to be used in stables and other places where horses and cattle are to be fed or grain weighed, especially in small quantities, although the device may be made large enough to weigh any quantity thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a cabinet with my weighing device shown in front elevation, the discharge-spout being seen in vertical section; Fig. 2, a bottom plan View of the valve and lower end of the discharge valve; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view of the valve and spout; Fig. 4:, a side elevation of one of the actuating-rods having openings therein; Fig. 5, a vertical sectional View of the spout and valve when arranged so the valve will lie with its rounded side upward and in the spout, and Fig. 6 an enlarged front elevation of the lower portion of my device similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 shows a cabinet with doors closed inclosing a winnowing device; but as the winnowing device is no part of this application for a patent it is not shown nor described, but is reserved for a future application.

2 shows a hopper for receiving the grain from an elevated bin and discharging it into the winnowing device in the cabinet 1 and from there into the lower hopper 3, from which it runs into the spout 4 and out of the valve 7 when open. The valve 7 I preferably make half-round, as seen, (although this form need not be adhered to,) as the half-round valve is very strong and will not spring or give, and this Valve may be used either with the fiat side upward, as seen in Fig. 3, or with the round side up, as seen in Fig. 5. When used as seen in Fig. 3, I make an offset 17, which acts as a stop and allows of the valve making a closure against the lower end of the spout 4: and prevents any grain getting between the valve and the inner wall of the spout and hindering the closing of the valve. When the valve is used reversely, as seen in Fig. 5, I place the projection 15 in position so as to act as a stop when the valve comes to fully close. Viewing Fig. 1, it will be seen that the valve is moved by means of the rod or journal 1 which has an arm 5, weighted with the ball or weight 6, which is slidable or movable on arm 5, so as to adjust its weight on that arm. To the arm 5 is pivoted the rod 10 by the pivot 13, and rod 10 has openings 18 accurately spaced, so as to tally with the action of the scale 1lthat is, when the scale shows the proper weight, say, for a halfbushel one of the holes will be placed so as to leave the rod ready to be disconnected from pin 12 and the valve closed at that instant. Enough holes 18 are so spaced to allow for the drawing of a peck, a half-bushel, a bushel, &c., and to close the valve at the proper instant by disengaging it from the pin 12. The scale-platform 11 and the rod 10 just balance the arm 5 and weight 6, and when the rod 10 is disengaged from the pin 12 the weight 6 drops and brings the valve closed sharply and in the position seen in Fig. 3, or in that seen in Fig. 5 if the valve is set as seen in that figure.

At 11 I show a pin whose function is to regulate the scale-spring, making it more or less resilient as occasion may require; but as this device and others for the same purpose are in common use further description is deemed unnecessary.

The operation of that form of the device shown in Fig. 1 is as follows: A half-bushel of grain being desired, or any other quantity, the rod 10 is drawn down and put in connection with the pin 12, using the proper hole 18. Making this adjustment will open the valve sufficiently to allow the grain to begin to run. As it runs and the measure lills, the scale-platform 11 will sink and draw the rod 10 with it, which will gradually open the valve 7 until enough grain runs out to make the weight or measure desired to be obtained, when the rod 10 is disengaged from the pin 12, when the ball or weight 6 will instantly force the valve closed or in the position shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 5, in accordance with the setting of the valve, as hereinbefore explained.

In Fig. 6 I show an enlarged view of my device, the only difference being that as the valve closes to stop the flow of the grain it closes gradually instead of suddenly. hen

this form is used, the ball 6 is omitted, the

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rod 10 is raised until the valve 7 is opened as far as necessary, the rod 10 is put in connection with the pin 12, and as the grain fills the measure the scale-platform sinks and draws With it the rod 10 and raises the arm 5 by means of the pivot 13, and as the measure sinks gradually it closes the valve 7 gradually until it is completely closed, which will be at the moment the scale indicates the exact amount of grain desired. The rod 10, being heavier than the arm 5, will, when disconnected from the pin 12, continue to hold the valve shut. The arm 5 (seen in Fig. 6) is in slidable connection with journal 14: by means of passing through the ball seen at the end of that journal.

Having described my invention, so that those skilled in the art may know how to make and use the same, What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a grain-weighing device having a receptacle for the grain and a discharge-opening therefor, a valve in operative connection with said opening, said valve having a weighted handle arranged to automatically close the valve when detached from the Weighing device; a rod pivoted to said handle, said rod having means whereby it may be adjustably attached to the Weighing device at different sonasa points along its length; a weighing device in operative connection with said rod arranged to actuate the rod and progressively close the valve as the grain is escaping from the valve and to fully close it when suiiicient grain has escaped and been weighed substantially as described.

2. In a grain-weighing device having a receptacle for the grain and a discharge-opcning therefor, a valve in operative connection with said opening, said valve having a handle arranged to automatically close the valve when detached from the weighing device; a rod pivoted to said handle, said rod having means whereby it may be adjustably attached to the weighing device at diiierent points along its length; a weighing device in operative connection with said rod arranged to actuate the rod and open the valve so the grain may escape and to close the valve when the proper amount of grain has escaped substantially, as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERRMAN N GRASSLEY.

l/Vitnesses:

XV. M. BROWN, M. BURNS. 

